Piedmont, Missouri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Piedmont, Missouri
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Streetside in Piedmont (2007)
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Location of Piedmont, Missouri
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| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Wayne |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.14 sq mi (5.53 km2) |
| • Land | 2.13 sq mi (5.52 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 512 ft (156 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,897 |
| • Density | 890.19/sq mi (343.74/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
63957
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| Area code(s) | 573 |
| FIPS code | 29-57422 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396198 |
Piedmont is a city in northwestern Wayne County in Southeast Missouri, United States. Its population was 1,897 at the 2020 census. Part of the Ozark Foothills Region, it is at the convergence of State Highways 34 and 49. Piedmont, transliterated as "foot of the mountain," is named for its position at the foot of Clark Mountain, a 1424-foot summit approximately two miles north of the town.
Contents
History
Piedmont was platted in 1871 when the Iron Mountain Railroad was extended south to that point. The community derives its name from the French pied and mont, meaning "foot" and "mountain" respectively. A post office called Piedmont has been in operation since 1872.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.15 square miles (5.57 km2), of which 2.14 square miles (5.54 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.
Piedmont includes the neighborhood of Beckville.
Nearby Clearwater Lake, a flood-control lake that was constructed in the 1940s and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, brings substantial seasonal tourism to Piedmont for boating, fishing, and camping.
Climate
Piedmont has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).
| Climate data for Piedmont | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42 (6) |
50 (10) |
59 (15) |
71 (22) |
79 (26) |
87 (31) |
92 (33) |
90 (32) |
81 (27) |
70 (21) |
57 (14) |
46 (8) |
69 (20) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20 (−7) |
24 (−4) |
33 (1) |
42 (6) |
51 (11) |
61 (16) |
66 (19) |
63 (17) |
56 (13) |
43 (6) |
34 (1) |
24 (−4) |
43 (6) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.11 (79) |
3.07 (78) |
4.50 (114) |
4.50 (114) |
4.48 (114) |
3.72 (94) |
3.87 (98) |
3.55 (90) |
3.36 (85) |
3.14 (80) |
4.82 (122) |
3.99 (101) |
46.11 (1,171) |
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 666 | — | |
| 1890 | 829 | 24.5% | |
| 1900 | 858 | 3.5% | |
| 1910 | 1,154 | 34.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,086 | −5.9% | |
| 1930 | 916 | −15.7% | |
| 1940 | 1,177 | 28.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,548 | 31.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,555 | 0.5% | |
| 1970 | 1,906 | 22.6% | |
| 1980 | 2,359 | 23.8% | |
| 1990 | 2,166 | −8.2% | |
| 2000 | 1,992 | −8.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,977 | −0.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,897 | −4.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,977 people, 823 households, and 500 families residing in the city. The population density was 923.8 inhabitants per square mile (356.7/km2). There were 993 housing units at an average density of 464.0 per square mile (179.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.5% White, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.
There were 823 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.2% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the city was 42.9 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.3% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.
Education
Among residents 25 years of age and older in Piedmont, 36.1% possess a high school diploma or higher, 7.5% have a bachelor's degree, and 3.9% hold a post-graduate/professional degree as their highest educational attainment.
Public schools
The Clearwater R-I School District serves the educational needs of most of the city's residents and nearby throughout most of western Wayne County. According to the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, there is one elementary school, one middle school and one senior high school in the district. During the 2008–2009 school year, there was a total of 1,110 students and 111 certified staff members enrolled in the Clearwater R-I School District. The school colors are orange and black and its mascot is the tiger.
- Clearwater Elementary School (PK-4)
- Clearwater Middle School (5-8)
- Clearwater High School (9-12)
Private schools
- Victory Baptist Academy (PK-12)
Library
Piedmont has a lending library, the Piedmont Public Library.
Arts and culture
Piedmont is known for its two nearby drive-in theaters, the Pine Hill Drive-In and the 21 Drive-In near Van Buren.
Since 1977, Piedmont has hosted an Ozark Heritage Fall Festival annually in mid-October, which showcases traditional Ozark culture and handicrafts, and is one of the highest attended in the region.
In August of 2023, to mark the 50th anniversary of alleged unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings in Piedmont, the Missouri General Assembly passed SB139 designating Piedmont and Wayne County as the UFO Capitals of Missouri.
Between February and April 1973, residents of Piedmont and the surrounding area witnessed unexplained activity in the sky. Several hundred calls were made to local police, sheriffs and newspapers. The incidents made local headlines and eventually national news outlets began reporting the sightings. Today, the city of Piedmont celebrates this designation every April with its annual UFO Festival.
Notable person
- Robert Banks, award-winning chemist and co-inventor of "crystalline polypropylene" and high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
See also
In Spanish: Piedmont (Misuri) para niños
